


iron tempest

by rhymeswithpi



Series: limit break [16]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Headcanon, Injury, Introspection, Near Death Experiences, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-14 03:00:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10527453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhymeswithpi/pseuds/rhymeswithpi
Summary: Near death experiences aren’t foreign to him. That’s just another Tuesday, really.





	

Another inch, and he wouldn’t be alive now. An inch. That’s all that had been between him and a messy death at the talons of a giant bird. The rocks it had knocked loose had been minor, in comparison, no more than a mild annoyance as they’d fallen on him. His shoulder and back had been bruised, but it isn’t anything to be concerned over. Noct is safe. That is what matters.

No one else seems to quite realise how close it had been, and he’s pretty sure he prefers it that way. Gladio had given him a  _ look _ in the middle of the ensuing battle, an unspoken command to get it together and stop making mistakes.

His hands are shaking as he adjusts his gloves, pushes his glasses back up his nose. If he could just convince his heart to stop hammering in his chest and remember how to  _ breathe _ , none would be the wiser, but Gladio’s giving him that look again, like he knows far more than he’s letting on.

He’s stronger than this. Near death experiences aren’t foreign to him. That’s just another Tuesday, really. Sure, it’s usually someone  _ else _ trying to get themselves killed and it’s usually because someone did something moronic, but it’s nothing new.

But if he’d been a second slower, or a bit farther away, the zu would’ve killed him. Or Prompto. Or  _ Noct _ , and then where would they be? No matter what he does, what locks he clicks into place, he can’t get that out of his head.

 

The locks are starting to fail. It’s been  _ hours _ , time wasted as they picked their way down the mountainside, not avoiding any of the monsters that lurked around the corners. Noct had tripped into him at one point, sending them both crashing into the rough stones. At least they hadn't fallen off the mountain. It feels like it’s more than bruising at this point, but there hasn’t been time to stop.

Pain is fogging the edges of his mind, but the Regalia (and relative safety) is so close. He can almost see it, pretty certain it's just around the next corner. If he can just sit down for a minute and recalibrate, figure out just what hurts and lock it away properly, he’s sure he can get them back to report in on the hunt and just  _ sleep _ for a while. They can restock their curatives, and maybe then he can be selfish enough to take something. He hasn’t actually stopped long enough to assess what hurts. That should worry him, he knows. It goes against everything he’s been taught to keep his mind together, but there just wasn’t  _ time _ .

But they're at the car at last, just as night is falling, and he's too tired to process it right now. There's plenty of time for that later. 

“Iggy? You alright there?”

Prompto’s staring at him now, giving him a look he must’ve learned from Gladio. He realises a bit belatedly he must've been staring at nothing, wonders how long it's been this time. Has he even said anything since the zu? The whole day is blurring together. 

“My left side fell off,” he mutters. “I’m all right now.”

His hand is shaking on the door handle when Gladio pulls him away from the car. He’s too tired to even flinch, can’t even push Gladio’s hand off his shoulder.

“No,” Gladio says, giving him that  _ look _ again. “That one was bad, even for you. You’re not driving like this.”

He knows better than to contradict that tone of voice, swallows the half-formed protest, and lets Gladio push him into the backseat. It's for the best, really. Even he's ready to admit he's in no state to drive. 

“Take a load off, Specs. I can drive.”

It takes longer than he’s willing to admit to realise Noct is talking. Definitely a good thing he’s not behind the wheel, then. Sleep is starting to sound like the best (terrible) idea he’s ever had. Gladio can look after the others, right?

He can feel himself starting to fade into unconsciousness, anyway. It’s a losing battle at this point. He can only hope Gladio has the sense to send Noct and Prompto off to do  _ something _ before he wakes up.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly meant to have this done before I left for my vacation, but WHOOPS THINGS HAPPENED and now here it is.  
> Pairs up with today's post for [ignisapproved](https://ignisapproved.tumblr.com/). (exact link to post coming when I actually, you know, _post it_ )


End file.
